Many people prefer the flavor of meat cooked over open flame or coals and countless methods have been developed to refine, adapt and improve cooking techniques and appliances to meet individual taste. A common example of this type of cooking utilizes an outdoor barbeque. Barbeques come in all shapes and sizes. One of the most popular types is known as the kettle type barbeque grill. George A. Stephen Sr. invented the original kettle grill in 1952, and it is still a favorite to this day. The primary reason for the popularity of this type of cooking is the flavor that is imparted to the meat while in contact with smoke during the cooking process. Charcoal is the most common combustion material and it is designed to create a desirable flavor effect, but an even more intense flavor can be obtained through the use of exotic woods using a meat smoking process.
Smoking of meat, including beef, pork, fish and fowl, has been practiced for the purpose of flavor enhancement and food preservation since before recorded history. Smoked meat is considered by many to be a delicacy and a treat. It is because of this great affinity for smoked foods that they command high prices when purchased at food retail outlets. Many people choose to smoke their own meat to reduce cost and for the enjoyment obtained while performing the act of meat smoking. There are many different types of smokers on the market and many different types of outdoor cooking systems. Most often it is the case that a dedicated meat smoking system is used. While using a dedicated system can work satisfactorily, they are normally large, limited to a single heat source type and are not portable.
Several examples of known inventions for combining a barbeque grill with a smoker can be found to include Parris U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,977, Mentzel U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,249, and Anstedt U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,709. While these are effective systems they rely on horizontal grills to suspend the meat resulting in uneven cooking and reduced capacity. Their designs require accessories that change the physical size of the barbeque enclosure and require assembly. When the adapters are not in use they are large and require significant storage space. Also, the adapter can be used only with the barbeque system for which it is designed. They are based on burning charcoal to combust the wood chips which taints flavor imparted by the wood. It is difficult to control as a heat source affecting the doneness of the food. Lastly the system must be tended so as to supplement the charcoal in the event that it is consumed prior to the completion of the smoking process. The addition of charcoal is inconvenient and can be awkward given the amount of charcoal required, the size of the accessory, and the difficulty of removal. The invention described herein addresses these discrepancies.
It is believed to be desirable for the smoker and outdoor cooking system to be combined, and for the smoker to be a relatively small adapter that can be used without modification in combination with any outdoor cooking system or auxiliary heat element. Benefits would include convenience, flexibility, portability, smaller size, and reduction of refuse being sent to the landfills.